Tuesday, June 2, 2020

Hello! Thank you so much for stopping by. The latest sketch is up at Tuesday Morning Sketches and this one is fun. At first glance it could look a little intimidating but it's really not.

I created two cards. Actually the first one I made last week and already mailed it out. But Sunday night I had an idea come to me so I had to play again.

The first card features Queen & Co Friends Forever die and paper stacks...

This card started out as trying to be inspired by Laura Bassen and some of the cards she's been doing lately. I failed miserably! But this card turned out from it and I really like this idea. The papers are so pretty and this can actually be a guy card as easily as a girl card. I die cut the "friend" out of white fun foam so there's a little bit of dimension. Then I finished it off with a few sequins.

This second card reminds me of an old technique of paper weaving...

This card was actually very easy to do. I put 2 square dies together and then partially cut them. I then cut the frames out of the patterned paper and placed it over the white card stock. Now, here's my mistake. I needed to cut that from a contrasting paper because otherwise it would've been easier to just cut the frames and stuck them down. But! If you see this card in real life it still looks like weaving with the bit of dimension. I then finished it off with Nuvo drops (Silver Lining) and a simple sentiment from Simon Says stamp.

Thank you so much for stopping by. Please head to the TMS blog to join us and leave some love for the team. They did some amazing projects to share!

Tuesday, May 26, 2020

Hello - thank you so much for stopping by. The latest sketch is up at Tuesday Morning Sketches and this one is brought to us by Patti. It's so much fun and the possibilities for this sketch are only limited by your imagination.

My card features stamps from the Love Jar set by Queen & Co, polka dot and sentiment Glimmer plates by Spellbinders and some pink/white baker's twine. You'll have to forgive the photo, it's been rainy which makes it hard but foil is super hard to photograph....

I am still learning the Glimmer hot foil so the impression is as perfect as I'd like it to be but this was so much fun to put together, even if I did waste a lot of foil and card stock before I got it to look like this. The stamps are from an adorable Love Jar stamp/die/shaker set from Queen & Co and I used inks from Altenew. The panel that I foiled is a slight gray, so we can't chalk it all up to bad lighting.

I used a pink foil on the dots and in real life, this looks so cool! Again, I am still learning this machine and what is the best sandwich to get good results. Trial and error, I just hope when I finally find the perfect formula, I remember to write it down.

Please head on over to the TMS blog to join in the fun. The team created some absolutely amazing cards, you'll want to be sure to check those out and while you're there, leave the team some love and then go play!

Tuesday, May 19, 2020

Hello! Thank you so much for stopping by. The latest sketch is up at Tuesday Morning Sketches and I think you're really going to enjoy working with this. It's fun! And if you're a subscriber to the Small Die of Month from Spellbinders like I am - this month's DOM is perfect for it! That was lucky!

So as you can guess, my card features May 2020 DOM from Spellbinders as well as April 2019 DOM. This card is gorgeous! I love it and I hope you do, too.

I cut a panel that is a hair smaller than an A2 size card base. On the base, using Distress Oxide inks in Pumice Stone, Weathered Wood and Forest Moss, I blended on the color. Strange combo and I probably wouldn't use it normally, but through the cut in borders, it's gorgeous! I just wish my photo did better justice to this card! Okay, after blending on the ink, I die cut the borders into the top panel and adhered to the base. I then die cut the flowers from white card stock and blended on the same ink colors, adding Shabby Shutters and Black Soot. I finished the card off using Nuvo Crystal Drops.

I am very proud of this card - it could actually be used as a wedding card, but I'll be sending it as a notecard.

I hope you're feeling inspired and that you'll join us at the Tuesday Morning Sketches blog and be sure to say hello to the team. Leave a little love and joy.

Tuesday, May 12, 2020

Hello! Thank you so much for stopping by. The latest sketch is up at Tuesday Morning Sketches and this week's sketch is by Debbie It has some basic elements which means it is a totally open canvas. I think you're going to enjoy working with it.

My card features a thing to new me. I've heard of Altenew and I even had a set that I got free in a magazine several years ago. I've watched "crafting celebrities" use their products and coveted their inks for years. So on Facebook I saw an ad for free stamp set, just pay shipping. I thought, hey, why not! It's five bucks - let's go for it. But then you click on the claim button and up popped an offer for 16 of their mini cube inks for $20. I went for it. I featured that mini set a couple of weeks ago. Well now I've gone and subscribed to their Mini Delight monthly subscription. This features a stamp and die for $7.99 a month. Pretty good deal - but I do think added shipping costs makes this a little high but whatever. So, I'll stop boring you with my ramblings, here's my card.....

Isn't that flower beautiful? This is April's Mini Delight - Bold Bloom stamp and die. The card base is Ellen Hutson Black Licorice 100# card stock. I embossed the stitched circle die (Pink & Main) into the base and using a size up to cut the circle out of the striped piece. The striped piece is actually a retired Foil Mates by GinaK. I did foil it with black foil by Minc. The sentiment is from Hero Arts. The ink I used is Black Out ink by Ink on 3. I did color the floral image using my Zig Color Real Brush markers and a water brush on Bristol Smooth cardstock. Then I finished it with Nuvo Crystal Drops in Strawberry Coulis.

I do hope you like my card and that it inspires you in one way or another. Please head on over to the TMS blog to leave some love for the team, get inspired by their amazing designs and maybe play along. Thank you for visiting!

Tuesday, May 5, 2020

Hello! Thank you for stopping by. The latest sketch is up at Tuesday Morning Sketches and it's another fun one. I enjoyed the entire process of making this card - one I finally figured out what I wanted to do.

This card features retired dies (picked up on a retirement sale) from CC Designs. I'm sure everyone recognizes the woodgrain embossing folder that I think everyone has. The paper used is almost the last of what I have from this stack of paper that I've had for a long time. It's called Dolled Up and I've loved all this paper that I'm still hoarding the scraps.

I love this card! At first I felt like I needed to add a sentiment in that lower left corner and then the more I looked at the more I decided I love it just the way it is. I hope you feel the same way. This card is is so perfect for a guy or a girl... thank you... thinking of you... just a note. It's just so versatile and so is the sketch. It is very open to interpretation.

I hope to see you over at the TMS blog and please be sure to leave love to the team and give a warm welcome to our new team members.

Tuesday, April 28, 2020

Hello! Thank you for stopping by. The sketch is up at Tuesday Morning Sketches and it's another fun one. I know, I say that every week - but I think we're just a fun group!

I have two cards to share with you. This first card is a classic! I think I first made this card about 12-15 years ago! This is called a triangle pocket card. It features stamps (flowers) from Altenew and sentiment from Concord and 9th. The paper is from a value stack I picked up at JoAnns about two years ago. The die is from Spellbinders.

So the card base creates a pocket. It holds your message on the inside.

Isn't this pretty? It's been a long time since I've just stamped. This was so much fun to make!

My next card - I really don't like making sympathy cards, but when I have to I want to make sure they are really pretty. I am so pleased with how this card turned out.

I flipped the sketch to portrait and brought the elements "up." I love this look of this tri-fold card. I used Bristol Smooth paper so that I could watercolor a bit. The stamps are from Gina K called Stippled Roses or something like that. I love this set but I haven't used it very much because I'm not very good at stamping it. I don't know how to line it up, so I pretty much just hoped for the best. This turned out so pretty. It's still not lined up right, but when I smeared the ink with some water, it longer mattered. I embossed the front panel with an old embossing folder and finished of a space that I missed in the folder with some Nuvo drops.

Open the first fold and this reveals a solid panel. Which for this card isn't super necessary but if you were doing a scene of say fish or more flowers this could be really cool.

And then finally the base panel with a place to write a message.

I hope to see you over at the TMS blog. We have new DT members and I'm excited for you to meet them. Be sure to leave all the team members some love!

Tuesday, April 21, 2020

Hello! Thank you so much for stopping by. I appreciate your visit and hope that you'll leave me a comment so that I know you were here.

The latest sketch is up at Tuesday Morning Sketches and this one is by Debbie. It's a really great sketch - great for using up scraps or showcasing some fun washi. It's also great to show off an amazing focal image.

I have two cards today. This first one features a Christmas die from Spellbinders. I actually picked this up recently (a couple of months ago) at Hobby Lobby on clearance. Normally it sold for $14.99 and I got it for $3.74 - what a bargain! I'll be using this to make my Mom's Christmas cards.

I also pulled out some paper that I have had for a very long time and cut the strips using a die from MFT Stamps. The bow and the hangar part of the ornament is cut from pink metallic paper. This was a really easy card to put together.

My 2nd card features the Magical Characters II bundle from Queen & Company that I bought to make birthday cards for Levi and Courtney.

Isn't this fun? I am missing Disneyworld - even though I never go, it makes me sad to know it's still closed and will be for at least another month. I think of my friend Kelly who works for Disneyworld in a call center and am thankful that she's still working. But I worry for how much longer.

I did leave off the tag element at the bottom left of the card (see the sketch) because I really couldn't think of anything to add.

I do thank you, again, for your visit and I hope you to see you over at the TMS blog to join us for our challenge. Please be sure to leave the team some love, they deserve your kind words.

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About Me

I am a mother of 3 amazing young adults! I am a proud momma of a Navy Sailor, a 2nd year college student and a boy entering college soon. In my spare time, I love to cook, read, stamp and make 3D paper projects. I've been a papercrafter for 22+ years and I love every minute of it. I decided I didn't have enough to do, so I also "own" a challenge blog, Tuesday Morning Sketches.
If you need to reach me, please feel free to email me at stampedbym@gmail.com

Copyright 2006-2018

All cards, scrapbook pages, photographs and text are owned by Melissa Craig. I have created the cards and pages with copyrighted material (Papertrey Ink, DRS Designs, MFT Stamps, Hero Arts and many others) and are for personal use only. I share these ideas with you, you are free to CASE the cards but ask that you do not submit for contests or publication. Also, please give credit where credit is due. If you CASE something of mine, please tell others where you got the idea. Thanks!! Happy Stamping and inky hugs.